Elastomeric, energy management cushions for use in shoe insoles and other protective wear products such as helmets, chest protectors, seat cushions, and automotive safety panels are generally known. Typically, such shock absorbing cushions are elastomeric molded of a thermoplastic composition to form honeycomb cells having relatively thin intersecting ribs or of spaced solid projections that extend from a supporting base. Conventional shock absorbing cushions are limited to the compression forces the respective cushioning elements can absorb before crushing or collapsing and bottoming out at which time they have little or no further cushioning effect. Thus there is no interactive, energy management within or between the honeycomb cells or spaced projections forming the respective cushioning elements.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an elastomeric, energy-management cushion formed of one or more geometrically shaped cushioning elements interspersed to absorb and distribute applied compression forces within and between the respective cushioning elements thereby forming an elastomeric, energy management cushion.